These insurgents, what do they want in our fathers land; it was not like this from the beginning, what is our fate?
They bundled us in a dark place. It smelt of blood, our eyes were tied with a thick blindfold. We could see nothing. There was the sound of urine coming out of someone, it smells too, who is this person all yell? What is your problem? Be composed, this room stenches already, we don't need any more ooze." "Madam, you sound very confident, here? Compose ko compose ni or should I not carry out reflex action just because I am captured? Another woman said "Look, I don't know why you all are panicking. These people were telling one another that the President has already announced a negotiation. You sound panicked because you know that the chances of that are slim. We all know that the President does not negotiate with terrorists or does he? It does not matter whether BBC, CNN or whatever has reported this, we would still die! Chai there is God ooo! A woman lamented.
In this country where the leaders and the ones set to secured kill the innocent citizens, the killers are not only the insurgent, everything you set your eyes on kill and no one is doing something about it, shey na like this we go dey dey ni? (Is this how we will live forever?)
About two weeks ago, Mr. Ademoji informed me I would be doing a report on the survival of the Church as the ancient church still standing in this region despite the fact that it is situated in a geographical area that is dominated by other religious group. Besides, rumor has it that the few churches that were planted there were destroyed; some were destroyed with the members in it! Even they have attacked the builders of some others. They killed them and are still ready to kill more if anyone dares them. At first, I was excited upon the research and my safety was guaranteed. Yet, here I am and unaware of the whereabouts of my colleagues till now. If these bandits can kill clergy men, then what could we ordinary working class people be to them? I saw my whole life in a flash from my childhood to adulthood, everything played like a movie, I thought about my lovely wife, she had wanted me at home, I was abducted from the taxi and the driver was shot, my crime may be that I was not of the same religious background with them and I guess the driver's crime was that he carried someone with a different religious identity. The bandits rolled into their van with a sort of red cryptic or religious drawing at the side with the painting of a red Cutlass in an x form .That was the last thing I saw before being blind folded. Even though I was blindfolded, my instincts were active. It seemed they carried me into a dense insect bush because all I could hear was the sound of insects all around.
Occasionally, I was slapped at the back with a bark in their native language to move faster with pushing. Then we entered a dark place but I had forgotten everything else because all I knew was that I was just in this place with all set of people where some are not blindfolded, they describe where we are as a dark place.
We became silent for a while or should I say dizzy because the next thing I knew, it was morning, I don't know how I had made it with the great fear in my heart .When I suggested that we should pray for divine intervention, someone quickly countered me "Tah, which prayer, how can we pray without a plan of escape? Even the Bible says Faith without works is dead. "Before we knew it, the door burst open and some of the bandits roughly handled us out of the place, my veil was removed, we pleaded for mercy amidst tears but everything single plea fell on deaf ears with the sound of gunshot on one of us I think he was dragging with them, silent dominate everywhere but hearing little panting of the person that was shot. By the sunny feeling on my skin with the chirping of birds and other creatures.
They positioned us on our knees speaking an unfamiliar language. A camera was on us, a man who I assumed was their leader spoke, he had a deep harsh voice spoke "We are here again. There was a public statement given by the top government official and some of the things he said was that he was going to meet with the President to see how the forces that surround the areas where we operate are to be taken elsewhere.
Secondly, no more threats, no more nonsense talk on the pages of newspaper and media houses. We send messages like we always do, he cocked his gun, moved from where he was and stood behind us. What followed was a command of gunshot on us; everyone was dying one by one amidst tears and shout, bodies landing on the ground with a thud. Its like they were doing this for instead of killing us at once. They were coming closer .I began fidgeting with great tears and heart pounding like it had almost stopped "Please, please don't kill me. Please, please, please. Suddenly, I heard someone calling my name. "Aghogho, Aghogho Aghogho!" I opened my eyes and sat up, my whole body with sweat despite the power supply and fan panning on me. "What is the matter? Why
were you screaming in your sleep? Are you okay? Who wants to kill you? I just sat there speechless and breathing heavily looking at my wife. Answer me, she yell on me! Can't you talk? Thank you for waking me up, it was a nightmare. I wanted to explain what happened but there I was, still speechless.
I was a University of Abuja student, what cannot happen on campus then are happening, enough is enough, youths are advised to wake up more, fight with communication and dialogue on social media and everywhere, fight in prayer to God also.
BY OSARO DESMOND